Ikan Asam Pedas

Pour 250 ml of just-boiled water over the dried red chillies and leave to soak for 15 minutes. Separately, soak the tamarind pulp in 75 ml of hot water for 15 minutes as well.

Drain the chillies, reserving the soaking liquid, and blend them with the onion, garlic, ginger, fresh turmeric and 50 ml of the reserved soaking water into a smooth paste. Lightly bruise the lemongrass stalks with the flat side of a knife.

Heat the oil in a wide pot. Fry the spice paste together with the lemongrass over medium heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until the paste darkens and the oil starts to separate. Add the shrimp paste and cook for a further minute.

Strain the tamarind water into the pot, pour in 500 ml of stock, then add the tomatoes and okra. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are almost tender.

Gently lower the pieces of white fish into the sauce and simmer for 5–7 minutes, without stirring with a spoon, until the fish turns opaque and flakes easily.

Season with salt and sugar, stir in the Vietnamese coriander leaves and simmer for a further 2 minutes. Serve the ikan asam pedas hot with its tangy, spicy sauce.